My Papayas Are Dying

[flifsh1]

Recently planted 6 papayas (all about 14 - 16 inches in height) that I purchased from the local garden center. I planted in fairly sandy soil where the plants are exposed to direct sunlight for most of the day. After one week the leaves on 3 of the plants have turned yellow and droped off. There are many other mature papayas growing in our compound in both sandy and clay type soil.

Any suggestions to why they are dying would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Lickey]

Recently planted 6 papayas (all about 14 - 16 inches in height) that I purchased from the local garden center. I planted in fairly sandy soil where the plants are exposed to direct sunlight for most of the day. After one week the leaves on 3 of the plants have turned yellow and droped off. There are many other mature papayas growing in our compound in both sandy and clay type soil.

Any suggestions to why they are dying would be appreciated. Thanks.

Flifsh, im no expert on Papaya, but we do have 9 rai that are doing very well, as with any transplanted plant, they take time to adjust to there new soil ect, I would think that a plant 15in in height would have a leaf diameter of near the same, also growing in pots can cause a rootball, this rootball needs to be soaked to release all the roots, then dig a piece of ground about 8in deep, 2ft diameter, add a bit of cow/pig shit {dried, not fresh, it will burn roots} add 50% of the mother soil from pot/bag, spread out roots on this and cover with remaining soil, Direct sunlight is great, papayas love this, also when watering aviod the foilage and possible new friuts { i have learned this recently and have had to change my irrigation system} Looking at the plants in a another perspective, if the leaves that are yellowing and dropping off are the lowest ones, this is normal in the growing process.

A cheaper way would be that if you are happy with the fruit your original papaya produces,take a a yellowing fruit, scoop out the seeds, wash them throughly, removing the glutinaues sac, allow to dry {not in sunlight} for 2 days, then plant 5 in a hole on raised ground half inch deep, as they come up and reach near 2ft, cut of the smallest ones, leave 2 remaining plants, this all happens within a month/6 weeks, water lightly at dusk, they need moist soil, not wet/damp, standing water is a big no/no, very prone to root rot and falling over in high winds,

Good Luck, Lickey.

[Maizefarmer]

flifsh1

- any idea which variety you are growing? As Lickey says, yellowing leaves not a bad thing per say - not also not neccessarily a good thing.

If the stems start to droop over - yes, then you have a problem.

Off the top of my head - I would have been inclined to leave them in the container they were purched in till they were around 2', or even 3' high - before transplanting - and not by way of taking them out that container, but instead - breaking off the base, splitting the side and planting it in situ with the plant (assuming of course they were not in a clay type container (!!).

MF

Edited April 17, 2007 by Maizefarmer